What's New

• 2013/5/17The following study will be presented in ASM2013 (Denver, Colorado, May 18-21, 2013).
  
  ＞Poster presentation
  Improvement of quantification of bacterial genetic markers by using a genetically-engineered strain of Escherichia coli as a process control
  Ayano Kobayashi, Daisuke Sano, Satoshi Ishii and Satoshi Okabe
  
  Conrefence details are here→ASM2013
• 2013/5/1Dr. Tashiro takes the Tenure Track position of Assistant Professor of Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Shizuoka University since May 1st, 2013.
• 2013/4/18Eight new students have joined.
• 2013/4/3Lecture materials for Water and Public Health are posted. >>here
• 2013/3/8The following study will be presented in the 47th Joint Working Conference on Immunology and Viral Diseases, US-Japan Cooperative Medical Science Program (Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Singapore, March 12th-13th, 2013).
  
  A hidden relationship between norovirus and enteric bacteria: norovirus exploits histo-blood group antigen-like substances on bacterial cells for its better survival in nature?
  Sano, D., Miura, T., Yoshimura, T., Fuzawa, M., Nakagomi, T., Nakagomi, O., and Okabe, S.
  
  Conrefence details are here→47th Joint Working Conference on Immunology and Viral Diseases
  FINISHED
• 2013/3/1The following study will be presented in the 3rd Young Professors and Students Symposium, NSFC-JST Joint Research Program (Xi'an, China , March 7th, 2013).
  
  Simultaneous quantification of multiple waterborne pathogens by use of microfluidic quantitative PCR
  Ishii, S., Segawa, T., and Okabe, S.
  
  Direct quantification of pathogens in natural and irrigation water samples for risk assessment
  Nakamura, T., Ishii, S., and Okabe, S.
  
  Towards mechanistic understanding of anaerobic nitrate-dependent Fe(II) oxidation
  Jokai, K., Ishii, S., and Okabe, S.
  
  FINISHED
• 2013/1/29"BODIPY-based retiometric fluoroionophores with bidirectional spectral shifts for the selective recognition of heavy metal ions" written by Hafuka et al was selected as an excellent paper in Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan, 2013, 86(1).
  
  
  
  
  
  • pdf is here
• 2013/1/22The following studies will be presented in the 16th International Symposium on Toxicity Assessment (Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 21st-26th).
  
  Toxicity assessment of chlorinated treated wastewater by using toxicogenomics approach
  Fukushima, T., Miyoshi, T., Kimura, K., Watanabe, Y., and Okabe, S.
  
  Toxicogenomic-based water quality evaluation of reclaimed water: Potential effects of pharmaceutical residues in treated wastewater
  Nakashima, K., Hara-Yamamura, H., Asiful, H., Miyoshi, T., Kimura, K., Watanabe, Y., and Okabe, S.
  
  Conrefence details are here→ISTA16
  FINISHED
• 2013/1/17The following study will be presented in the 2nd Water Research Conference, IWA (Singapore, Jan. 20th-23rd).
  
  Microsensor measurements of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide production rates in partial nitrification and anammox granules
  Rathnayake, R. M. L. D., Satoh, H., Takahashi, M., and Okabe, S.
  
  Conference details are here→The 2nd Water Research Conference
  FINISHED
• 2013/1/16The following study will be presented in Global Leadership Initiative Special Workshop on Water Virology (Parkside Hotel Ueno, Tokyo, Jan. 19th).
  
  Performance target of enteric virus removal with MBR
  Sano, D., Miura, T., and Okabe, S.
  
  FINISHED
• 2013/1/15Dr. Mamoru Oshiki (JSPS Research Fellow) left for Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Netherlands.
• 2012/12/27Mr. Nakashima and Mr. Ozawa were honored (runner-up and third place, respectively) in the mid-term research presentation contest 2012 of Water-related laboratories. Congratulations!!!
• 2012/12/5The following study will be presented in Biofilms 5 (Paris, Dec. 10-12, 2012).
  
  Bacteriophage resistant mechanisms of mature Escherichia coli biofilms
  May, T., Tsuruta, K., and Okabe, S.
  
  FINISHED
• 2012/11/30Ms. Tazawa was honored (Excellent Poster Award) in the 49th Environmental Engineering Research Forum.
• 2012/11/24Interview to Assoc. Prof. Sano in GiFT2012 has been delivered in YouTube.
  
  
• 2012/11/21The following studies will be presented in the 4th Asia-Pacific Young Water Professionals Conference 2012 (Miraikan, Tokyo, Dec. 7-10, 2012).
  
  >Academic Session B-6
  Multiple peak expression of enteric virus density in environmental water
  Sano, D., Kato, T., Kobayashi, A., Miura, T. and Okabe, S.
  
  >Health-Related Water Microbiology Special Session 1
  Bacteroides-Prevotella genetic markers as fecal pollution indicators for microbiologically safe water management
  Kobayashi, A., Sano, D., Ishii, S. and Okabe, S.
  
  >Health-Related Water Microbiology Special Session 2
  Risk assessment for viral infection via drinking water considering age-dependent susceptibility
  Watanabe, T., Itoh, H., Sano, D. and Okabe, S.
  
  Conference details are here
  The program of Health-Related Water Microbiology Special Session is here
  FINISHED
• 2012/11/7Lecture materials for Environmental Biotechnology are posted. >>here
• 2012/10/1One visiting researcher and three new graduate students have joined.
• 2012/9/25Ms. Hara was honored (Encouraging Award) in SETAC AP2012 Meeting KUMAMOTO. Congratulations!!!
• 2012/9/21The following studies will be presented in the 3rd Food and Environmental Virology Conference (Lisbon, Oct. 7-10, 2012).
  
  Infectivity of gastroenteritis viruses analyzed by oxidative stress marker detection and RNase sensitivity test
  Sano, D., Miura, T., Tojo, K., Otani, M. and Okabe, S.
  
  Enteric bacteria bearing histo-blood group antigen-like extracellular polymeric substances as environmental vehicles for human noroviruses
  Miura, T., Sano, D., Suenaga, A., Yoshimura, T., Nakagomi, T., Nakagomi, O. and Okabe, S.
  
  FINISHED
• 2012/9/19Some laboratory members apper on the video introducing English Engineering Education Program, Hokkaido University.
  
  
  
• 2012/9/13The following study will be presented in IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition (Busan, Sep. 16-21, 2012).
  
  FISH case study
  Okabe, S.
  
  FINISHED
• 2012/9/13The following study will be presented in IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery 2012 (Harbin, Sep. 23-25, 2012).
  
  ＞Keynote Speech
  N₂O emission from a partial nitrification-anammox process
  Okabe, S.
  
  ＞Poster presentation
  Elucidating the ecophysiology of an anammox bacterium, Candidatus ‘Brocadia sinica’, by metagenomic approach
  Oshiki, M., Shinyako, K., Satoh, H., and Okabe, S.
  
  FINISHED
• 2012/8/19Ms. Hiraizumi was honored (Travel Award) in ISME14. Congratulations!!!
• 2012/7/26Dr. Takayuki Miura (JSPS Research Fellow) left for Microbiology Laboratory, IFREMER, France.
• 2012/7/13The following study will be presented in ISME14 (Copenhagen, Aug. 19-24, 2012).
  
  Physiological characteristics of marine anammox bacteria enriched from sea sediments, Hiroshima, Japan
  Awata, T., Kindaichi, T., Ozaki, N., Ohashi, A., Oshiki, M., and Okabe, S.
  Poster presentation
  
  Meta-genomic analysis for the elucidation of physiology of an anammox bacterium, Candidatus 'Brocadia sinica'
  Mamoru Oshiki, Kaori Shinyako, Hisashi Satoh and Satoshi Okabe
  Poster presentation
  
  Reduction of folate synthesis represses biofilm formation by decreasing curli fimbriae synthesis in Escherichia coli
  Yosuke Tashiro and Satoshi Okabe
  Poster presentation
  
  Cell density-dependent anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) activity of Candidatus 'Brocadia sinica'
  Haruna Hiraizumi (The ISME Travel Award winner), Mamoru Oshiki, and Satoshi Okabe
  Poster presentation
  
  FINISHED
• 2012/7/3Special seminar will be held on July 13.
  
  
  「Implication of Microbial Community Structrues in Water Quality
  and Biogeochemical N Cycle」
  Venue：A101, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University
  Time：10:00-11:00
  Lecturer：Dr. Bongkuen Song (University of North Carolina at Wilmington, NC, USA)
  
  ▲Click to download
  
  FINISHED
• 2012/6/11Viral Gastroenteritis Seminar in Sapporo will be held as follow:
  
  
  Viral Gastroenteritis Seminar in Sapporo
  Venue: KEIO PLAZA HOTEL SAPPORO, 3F
  Date and time: 18:00 - 20:00, June 20th
  Lectures: Prof. M. K. Estes (Baylor College of Medicine, USA)
  Dr. F. S. Le Guyader (IFREMER, France)
  
  FINISHED
• 2012/5/28The following study will be presented in ASM General Meeting (San Francisco, June 16-19, 2012).
  
  Localization and global gene expression during filamentous bacteriophage biofilm infection
  Thithiwat May and Satoshi Okabe
  Poster presentation
  
  Colanic acid production decreases bacterial attachment on membranes
  Keitaro Yoshida, Yosuke Tashiro, Thithiwat May and Satoshi Okabe
  Poster presentation
  ASM General Meeting, San Francisco, June 16-19, 2012.
  
  FINISHED
• 2012/5/25The following study will be presented in Europic2012 (Saint Raphael, June 3-7, 2012).
  
  Transcriptome analysis of intestinal epithelial cells infected with poliovirus type 1
  Megumi Tazawa, Takayuki Miura, Daisuke Sano and Satoshi Okabe
  Europic 2012 at Saint Raphael, June 3-7, 2012.
  
  FINISHED

Message from Prof. Okabe

Our Environmental Biotechnology group in Graduate School of Engineering at Hokkaido University mainly focuses on complex microbial ecosystems in wastewater treatments and microbial energy productions, including an anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (Anammox) process and microbial fuel cells (please visit our "Research activity" on this home page). We are also developing a novel bioassay to evaluate the water safety by using DNA microarray technology (i.e., Toxicogenomics). The primary goal of our research and education program is to train students to use interdisciplinary approaches in the study of environmental biotechnology that lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the importance of our environment and human health. I strongly encourage interested students to contact us if you are interested in working and studying with us. Our Graduate School of Engineering offers the English Engineering Education Program or the e3 program (http://www.eng.hokudai.ac.jp/e3/), in which MEXT scholarships are available.